Case Study: De Beers Group
About De Beers Group
De Beers is an international corporation specializing in diamond mining, retail and trading, and industrial diamond manufacturing. In 1947, through Frances Gerety’s magic, De Beers invented the modern-day engagement ring in four simple words—A Diamond is Forever. This 1999 Slogan of the Century transformed the diamond and advertising industry forever.
The Challenge
How do you position for the future a company as big and revolutionary as De Beers?
As one of the companies battered by COVID-19, De Beers hoped to get out of the current doldrums already prepared for the challenges of the future. Getting out of the current unbelievably difficult time means a transformational process from exploration to retail. While the strategy of doing things more efficiently and profitably is certainly not a new concept to them, the current situation demands an approach more than what they have done before. This means
embracing more data and technology to expedite the process and adoption to the changes in the industry, particularly in retail.
One of the pain points is getting a diamond out of the ground into a retail store. De Beers knew that the quicker the diamond movement would be, the more efficient the rough diamond selling would be to people.
De Beers believes that the core business of people inspecting the goods physically will continue. The current world situation might not agree or make physical sights difficult although, it’s yet to be known whether rough diamond selling will be a blend of physical sight and virtual transaction in the future, part of futureproofing is anticipating the challenges and opportunities to minimize the negative effects while maximizing the positive ones. Despite this, De Beers has remained flexible throughout and was able to make sales virtually. The real challenge, however, is whether virtual sales can handle the volume of goods they sell.
How can we make them equipped for virtual transactions taking into account the volume of goods they sell on a day-to-day basis?
The Insights
Product photography is one of the most powerful tools in virtual transactions. The visual image conveys crucial information that influences consumer behavior including their choices and purchase decisions.
We often say that a picture is worth a thousand words and in digital commerce, possibly a thousand sales, if not more. Studies have shown that in products for which appearance is important, the number of images of the
product and photo quality are tantamount to providing consumers with complete product visual representation leading to improved sellthrough. A brand that knows the key role of product photography in business can benefit
from such knowledge, especially in a highly competitive online market.
Before the GemLightbox Macro, De Beers used a few other photography machines. Unfortunately, like what other diamantaires experienced, none of those machines really captured the allure of this fascinating earth wonder.
The Solution
If it’s all about cost, time, and skill, the GemLightbox Macro ticked all the right boxes!
Studio-quality images and videos at a fraction of the cost and time.
Factor in the learning curve for the use of your high-end camera, the lighting equipment, and the post-production work involved—all in the aspects of time, money, and energy — the GemLightbox Macro emerged to be the perfect cost-saving tool for diamond dealers who need to photograph loose diamonds and
gemstones for everyday-clients.
Similar to other GemLightbox series, Macro was built to provide the same one-click experience for loose stone dealers whilst achieving amazing results. This shoot-and-go solution not only allowed De Beers to save a significant amount of time carrying what was used to be a cumbersome task, but it also allowed them to save hundreds to thousands of dollars in commissioned photo shoots.
POWER UP AND SHOOT, NO TRAINING REQUIRED
After two years in Research & Development, we came up with a design that would eliminate the grueling photography process with no training required. The GemLightbox Macro will not make you an expert in photography, but it will give you the same studio-quality results that you need in one click by simply powering up the device and positioning your smartphone properly on the smartphone holder,
There is absolutely no training required. You just tap and shoot!
Results
Given the nature of De Beers’ operation, Daniel found that the GemLightbox Macro is best suited to a store-level operation more than a high-volume production facility. Nevertheless, he noted the excellent way Macro has enabled them to utilize equipment already in their possessions such as their camera phones, which was more convenient than sourcing expensive camera equipment that still requires a high level of skill to operate.
What Daniel loved the most about Macro aside from the ability to use a smartphone camera was the availability of light sources. Macro has four lighting options to accommodate different gems regardless of their specific lighting needs. Each lighting option was built to ensure that every diamond dealer and laboratory manager like him would capture diamond photos and videos with high color accuracy in a perfect lighting environment. Daniel thought that modular light sources would be a good option to offer flexibility including filters, more diffusers, and more color options. We continuously strive for progress and every suggestion is carefully studied to ensure maximum functionality.
Macro’s portability and the effortless image shareability and storage also caught Daniel’s attention. When Macro was created, we did not just want to bring studio-quality photos and videos; above all else, we wanted simplicity
reflected in the whole process and we knew that the process begins even before diamantaires click the shutter button.
Indeed, Macro is portable. Simply, place it on a desk and you’re all set. It uses less space and can easily be tucked away when not in use or placed in a bag when traveling so you can take pictures wherever you are.
Another consideration was shareability and storage. The ability to share images or videos quickly and easily was made possible by the GemLightbox app. The GemLightbox app is available to download on both the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store, ensuring that both users of the mobile operating systems are well-catered for. The app optimizes the smartphone camera for diamond photography to capture amazing results every single time. It also gives them the power of accessibility. When dealers capture images and videos within the app, they can save them straight away on the app gallery and share them to their social media accounts or email them directly to their prospective buyers—no photo or video retouching required!
See How De Beers Group Used the GemLightbox Macro
